A couple good reads over coffee this morning

Agustin C. Torres takes a very in-depth look at the implosion of the Hudson County Democratic Party over Mayors Fulop, Stack, Bhalla, and Roque all gunning to replace current county chair Tom DeGise with new blood and DeGise telling them to bring a flashlight and pack a lunch. Good stuff.

Also on your reading list, Earl Morgan makes the fair observation that maybe next year Ward F will hear what Mayor Fulop did and not just what he's still planning to do. Plus, Mr. Earl Morgan used the word surfeit. You can feel those bonus word scores piling up.

Earl Morgan, for the win

Every so often Earl has a pearl of Jersey City wisdom, this is one of those columns.

If you've never heard of the The Disparity and Inclusion Advisory board get in line

If you can find that line. Veteran Jersey Journal reporter Earl Morgan had some difficulty finding out, well, anything about the mysterious board and when it meets and what it's doing. Now, Jersey City Councilwoman Joyce Watterman chairs the The Disparity and Inclusion Advisory board but she told Morgan she couldn't discuss the board with anyone but the Labor Committee chairman.

Sure, sure. Of course she couldn't tell Morgan anything about the group, nobody in the administration can. Meetings are kept secret if they're even held at all (who knows). Morgan does know who is on the board, that's not such a mystery, more of an ethical hand grenade:

If that wasn't bad enough, several other members of board are inclusion office employees. How can the board provide oversight if some board members' paychecks could be imperiled should they voice or dissent from their bosses' point of view?

It's a great question Earl, please do tell us if anyone, Watterman, Fulop, Morrill or even the Labor Committee Chairman ever deigns respond.

It's your tax money Jersey City, but Joyce Watterman sure doesn't seem to view it as such.

This is exactly why a strong neighborhood association is a good thing

Because it's the only way you're going to stop city hall when they decide to impose something upon your neighborhood. Caitlin Mota at the Jersey Journal sure didn't bury the lead:

A controversial plan to locate a prisoner re-entry program next door to Sacred Heart School was scrapped Monday night after nearly 200 people showed up to voice their opinions on it.

This plan was pushed on the neighborhood by the Fulop Administration who have egg on their faces and most noticeably former Governor Jim McGreevey who was asked to leave a community meeting he decided to show up at to push the plan and the neighborhood association was having none of it. A former governor and a wannabe governor both shut down by the association. Well done and if your neighborhood doesn't have an association, put one together.

This plan really helped enforce the idea that the Fulop Administration doesn't care much for the predominantly African-American neighborhoods according to Earl Morgan. Click here to get his take on the issue.